The Weekly Roundup - March 20, 2023
The Alberta Legislature and House of Commons are both in Session this week, with MLAs in Alberta counting down the days until they can get back to their ridings in advance of the spring election, and MPs in Ottawa playing host to U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday, when he will give a speech to Parliamentarians.
Below, you’ll find the top federal and provincial stories of the week, key announcements made and legislation introduced since our last edition.
Top Federal Stories of the Week
MPs are expected to vote this week on a Conservative-sponsored motion regarding reports of Chinese interference in Canada’s elections, calling on Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford, along with dozens of other individuals including the Deputy Prime Minister and Clerk of the Privy Council to testify at one or the other of two House of Commons committees. The debate on these motions, ongoing filibustering at committee and the return of Question Period with the House sitting will create many avenues for the Conservative opposition to keep the issue alive. The appointment of David Johnston as special rapporteur last week has done nothing to quell the opposition with CPC Leader Poilievre stating Johnston is a family friend, old neighbour from the cottage and member of the Beijing-funded Trudeau foundation.
In advance of the federal budget being tabled next week, the Consumer Price Index for February will be released on Tuesday by Statistics Canada and will give a sense of whether inflationary pressures in Canada are easing. Affordability is top of mind for many Canadians and is touted as a strong focus of both the governing Liberal and opposition Conservatives.
U.S. President Joe Biden will be in Ottawa on Thursday and Friday this week, the first visit by a sitting president to the capital since 2016. The Trudeau government is likely hoping the visit will change the channel on the ongoing Chinese interference file. At the same time, there are many tough issues to work through, including national security and showing unity against both Russia and China with Putin and Xi meeting in Moscow today as a show of Chinese support for the ongoing war in Ukraine. Canada may also be asked to lead a mission to Haiti and immigration concerns for irregular migrants may be addressed amid the pomp and circumstance of the official visit.
Top Alberta Stories of the Week
A pivotal federalism case will be heard at the Supreme Court of Canada on Tuesday and Wednesday this week after being referred by the Alberta government. The case hinges on the authority of Ottawa to regulate industrial projects through environmental impact legislation. The legislation, previously known as Bill C-69 (or if you were to ask former Premier Jason Kenney, the “No More Pipelines Act"), was struck down by the Alberta Court of Appeal in 2022. Complicating matters is the Supreme Court of Canada hearing the matter without a full complement of judges, given the leave of Justice Russell Brown who was expected to rule against the legislation.
As the UCP and NDP continue developing their platforms for the spring election, they are sure to be keeping a close eye on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) price of oil. The provincial budget tabled late last month projected the WTI price to average US $79/bbl in 2023-24 and drop to US $73.50/bbl by 2025-26. When markets closed on Friday, WTI sat at US $66.74/bbl. We’ve been down this road before in Alberta. When you consider that a quarter of Alberta’s revenue in 2023 is set to come from oil revenues, and each one dollar change in the price of oil results in a swing of about $230 million to the Alberta government's bottom line, accurately mapping out key platform commitments becomes difficult.
Government Legislation Recap
One additional government bill is on the Order Paper and could be introduced.
Bill 8: Alberta Firearms Act
Stage: Second Reading passed March 9, 2023
Notes: Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro introduced this legislation to clarify provincial jurisdiction regarding firearms in light of the Trudeau government’s Bill C-21 that has the potential to collect restricted firearms. Bill 8 would enable the provincial government to create regulations in response to federal firearm legislation including the ability to license seizure agents and formally defines the role of Alberta’s Chief Firearms Officer in law.
Bill 9: Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2023
Stage: First Reading passed March 8, 2023
Notes: Continuing with other red tape reduction legislation the UCP government has introduced, this iteration of omnibus legislation would make changes across a variety of ministries to reduce red tape, including amending trespass legislation to clarify the right of landowners to control access to their property and amending the Workers’ Compensation Act to expand presumptive cancer coverage to all firefighters who served during the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. A full overview of the changes can be found here.
Bill 10: Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2023
Stage: First Reading passed March 9, 2023
Notes: This legislation would implement many of the technical measures introduced in Budget 2023, including legislating a new fiscal framework to mandate balanced budgets, making changes to Alberta’s charitable tax credit rate to come into effect for 2023, implementing a two per cent cap on tuition increases and creating a new agri-processing tax credit program.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 2023
Stage: First Reading passed March 16, 2023
Notes: Bill 11 requests a total of $57.4 billion from the general revenue fund, consistent with Budget 2023.
Key Government Announcements
Federal Ministers Guilbeault and Hajdu will hold a media availability today to speak to the ongoing situation at Imperial Oil’s Kearl Oil Sands Processing Plant and Mine in Northern Alberta. This follows readouts from the conversation between Federal Minister of Environment Guilbeault and Provincial Minister of Environment Sonya Savage striking different tones of the same conversation.
Over $80.5 million in federal funding for an Edmonton-based initiative will enable early-stage companies to bring new pharmaceutical products to market and develop talent in Alberta’s life sciences sector.
Minister of Municipal Affairs Rebecca Schulz has released a third-party inspection report and delivered binding directives that Chestermere city council and administration must follow.
Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis issued statement following the death of two Edmonton police officers. The families of the two officers will receive $100,000 from the Alberta Heroes’ Fund.
More money from Budget 2023 was highlighted, including:
$414 million over the next three years to support school transportation improvements
$25.6 million over the next three years for the Transition to Adulthood Program
Ongoing funding for Indigenous people to build continuing care spaces through the Continuing Care Capital Program
Injecting an additional tens of millions in the justice system for legal aid, crown prosecutors and the legal services division
$23.8 million in partnership with the federal government to meet newcomers’ needs through the Alberta Settlement and Integration Program, and
$9.5 million invested in grant programs to help combat racism and promote multiculturalism
Education Minister Adriana LaGrange provided an education update, sharing that new curriculums will be available for K-6 students this fall, including for Francophone students.
Orders in Council were passed including naming a new Deputy Attorney General, appointing Matthew Park as a Court of King’s Bench applications judge for Red Deer and appointing members to a variety of ABCs.
A Minimum Wage Expert Panel report submitted to government in February 2020 was publicly released by Jobs, Economy and Northern Development Minister Brian Jean along with a statement from him saying that the UCP will not change the current minimum wage structure or introduce a separate liquor server minimum wage.
Upcoming Events Calendar
March 23-24, 2023: U.S. President Joe Biden makes his first official visit to Canada.
March 22-24, 2023: Canada Strong and Free Conference held in Ottawa where conservatives including Federal CPC Leader Pierre Poilievre, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper will speak.
March 28, 2023: Federal Budget 2023 will be tabled in the House of Commons.
May 29, 2023: The next Alberta Provincial General Election is scheduled to be held
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